In the prior art, tank heads are insulated with cut and scored pieces of insulation block. The insulation block is covered with hexagonal wire, cemented with one or two coats of insulation cement, and finished with fiberglass cloth and troweled-on mastic for waterproofing.
Aluminum sheeting, which is used to cover the tank body insulation, has also been used to cover the tank head insulation. This method is advantageous since the cementing applications required when using insulation block are eliminated.
FIG. 1 shows aluminum wedge shaped sections, called gores, used in the prior art to cover insulated tank heads. The tank shown in FIG. 1 has an outside diameter of approximately 12' and may contain as many as 52 gores screwed together. Each gore is approximately 10" wide at its widest end, curves slightly to conform to the tank head. Each gore is arranged so as to overlap the adjacent gore by approximately 2'. After all the gores are secured to the tank, an area approximately 12" or more in diameter in the center of the tank head remains exposed. A round aluminum disc is therefore applied to this uncovered area and secured to the assembly of gores.
Gores are fabricated from flat sheets of aluminum stock. A large number of gores of relatively small width must be utilized in order for the gore flanges to conform closely to the circumference of the tank head and thus reduce the chance of leaking overlap joints. The assembly of this large number of gores to a tank head is very time consuming, and it is difficult to align the gores properly. The error introduced by one misaligned gore is amplified considerably as the remaining gores are installed.
In addition, the large number of seams between the gores is disadvantageous since these seams have been known to leak during rainstorms or tank washdowns. The large number of seams is also disadvantageous since each seam is a potential entryway for dirt, mildew and insects. This is especially, problematic for food and beverage storage tanks.
Moreover, movement of the gores is inevitable since caulking compounds are generally not used in the prior art.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a tank head insulation cover formed from a small number of panels which conforms closely to the circumference of the tank.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a tank head insulation cover which is lightweight and easy to install.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a tank head insulation cover which can be adapted to be fitted to tank heads of a variety of shapes and sizes.